Sisters Know Best
by xxAugustaxx
Summary: This story takes place eight years after the finale. Dawson’s little sister, Lily, who’s turning 17, stays with Joey in New York City while Dawson tends to some business there in town as well. Lily decides to play matchmaker.
1. Chapter 1

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Sisters Know Best

Disclaimer: Ugh, do we really need one of these? Didn't create the show, that'd be Kevin Williamson your thinking of. -And boy what a fine job he did with it (Please note the sarcasm here!) This is the disclaimer for the entire story.

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Author's Note: This story takes place eight years after the finale. Dawson's little sister, Lily, who's turning 17, stays with Joey in New York City while Dawson tends to some business there in town as well. Having heard some of their sorted history together, Lily decides to get Joey an Dawson back together once and for all now that nothings stopping them…except themselves.

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Chapter 1

Lily Leery made a quick check in her bag before deciding she had everything she needed for her week and a half in New York City. A grin appeared on her face when she thought of how much fun she was going to have, away from Capeside, in a big city. But it wasn't the city itself that got Lily excited; it was spending time with Joey that made her excited, and unable to wait to get there. After Lily's thirteenth birthday, Joey had told her anytime she wanted to spend time with her, to just call her up and she'd be happy to have her. Since then, she'd been there only twice, but both times were fun and she couldn't wait to do it again. Now that she was turning 17 in a few short weeks, she wanted to stay there longer, and with Joey having time off, their schedules fit perfectly.

"Lily, you ready?" a deep male voice called up from downstairs. She rolled her eyes at her brother's impatience. Since his show wrapped up, he'd been sticking around that region of the U.S, saying he'd had enough of L.A for the time being. Dawson had offered to drive her there since he had something he needed to do in New York City anyway. Lily had doubted that motive, knowing her brother had a secret -or not so secret- 'thing' for Joey. Which didn't surprise her, she had heard about some of the history between Joey and her brother; enough to know that they had dated on and off when they were fifteen or so. But why they had never gotten back together when clearly they both stilled liked one another was a mystery to her. She quickly patted the small compartment in her duffel bag, making sure she had her cell phone with her.

"Coming!" she announced, grabbing her bad that contained all she'd need for an entire week and a half away, and running out of her room and down the stairs. As expected, Dawson was waiting near the door, one hand on the doorknob as he played with his keys with his other hand, talking to their mother.

"Alright honey, you got everything?" Gale asked.

"Yup," she said. "Toothbrush, toothpaste, cell phone, clothes; the basics." Gale smiled.

"I guess that's it then, have fun," she said, hugging her.

"Bye mom!" Lily hugged her mother quickly before running out the door, to the car.

"Bye mom," Dawson laughed as he followed his sister out the door.

"Drive safely!" she called out after them.

"So.." Dawson began, his eyes on the road. They had been driving for ten minutes, and in those ten minutes, it had been silence in the car. "How's school?" he asked. Lily looked at him oddly.

"Great, considering I'm on summer vacation," she said.

"Right," Dawson said, obviously forgetting. "Well, what about a summer job? I was working at Screenplay videos with Pacey when I was fifteen," he reminded her.

"I dunno," she said, shrugging. "I haven't given it much thought. I mean, I had one last year."

"So uh, you and Joey got anything planned this weekend?" he asked curiously. Lily rolled her eyes and smiled. He had it so bad for Joey, it was so obvious.

"Yup. Her and I are going to some bars in hopes to pick up guys then drop them off when were done with them," she said.

Dawson smiled, knowing his sister was joking. "You know, you sound just like her sometimes, it's kinda creepy," he informed her. Lily smiled, going back to looking out the passengers side window at the scenery going past her.

"How's Alex?" Dawson asked, knowing his sister and Joey's nephew were still close, despite their three year age difference.

"He's doing good. He says he likes his classes, and his roommate isn't bad either," she informed him.

"But I'm sure you miss him."

"Yeah, I do," she said honestly. "And it's different now, he's in college, and I'm still in High School."

"Ah, before you know it, you'll be in College," he told her.

"Yeah, in two years," she grumbled. "I just don't get it. When we were younger, our age difference didn't matter at all, now.." she trailed off.

"Well when your younger, a lot of things don't matter. Girls can play with the boys and vise versa and everything be fine. But once the teenage years hit…" he trailed off, thinking of he, Pacey and Joey as he spoke.

"Yeah," his sister agreed.

"You got a boyfriend?" he asked after a few moments of silence, deciding to change the subject.

"Not anymore," she said as she continued to look out the window.

"What happened?" he asked.

She shrugged. "He just wasn't the one for me, I guess."

"Lily, I'm sorry. I know how hard it is at your age; but I promise you it does get easier," he assured her. Lily nodded.

"What about you and that girl?" she asked.

"Who? Courtney?" he asked, looking over at her. She nodded. "Oh we broke up a while ago," he told her.

"You know Dawson, Joey's single too," Lily hinted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, unsure of what his sister was up to.

"I just thought you'd want to know," she said innocently, wearing a mischievous grin on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Joey looked around her living room, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the clean up job she had done. She had only been living in her new apartment for less than a year, and she realized quickly that things accumulated quickly, even if it was just her living there. She looked down at her watch, realizing they'd be here soon. A wide smile flashed across her face, thinking of the upcoming week and a half with Dawson's little sister. She had only spent the night with Joey twice before, but now she was older and it was summer vacation and Lily decided to get away from Capeside for the entire weekend this time. Joey, unable to say no her, and loved her like a sister, told her she was more than welcome to stay with her anytime she wanted.

Suddenly a knock on her door caused Joey to snap out of her thoughts. She smiled, knowing it could only be one person; actually two. Unable to stop smiling, she opened the door, grinning.

"Hey Joey!" Lily said happily, hugging her.

"Hey there," Joey said, hugging the girl right back. She opened her eyes while hugging the girl and noticed Dawson standing behind them. "Come in you guys," she urged them, stepping away from the door so they could get inside her apartment.

"Hey," Joey said warmly as Dawson shut the door behind him. His grin matched hers.

"Hey," he said back. The two stood there, locking gazes, having not seen one another in months. The obvious attraction between the two of them as they stood only inches from one another.

"This is a nice place," Lily remarked, looking around, unaware that Joey was busy gazing at Dawson. Finally she turned around and noticed the two of them smiling.

"Okay, break it up you two," she said, walking back over to them. "Where should I put my bag?" Lily asked.

"Um.. In the guest room. Down the hall, the first door on the right," she explained.

"Okay, cool," Lily said, reaching for her overnight bag Dawson had been holding. Joey watched as Lily disappeared down the hall.

"You and my sister, all alone, for an entire week," Dawson remarked a few minutes later. Joey turned around towards Dawson.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I can only imagine the 'girl talk' that'll be had during the coarse of the week," he said. Joey rolled her eyes. "The nail painting, and the cursing of men, and whatever else you girls do," he continued. "You know, now that I think of it, I'm not sure if I like the idea of you alone with my impressionable, sixteen year old sister," Dawson teased. Joey playfully swatted his arm, smiling.

Dawson laughed. "Come here," he said, pulling her into a hug, wanting to do that since she opened her door.

"I've missed you," Joey said, rubbing his back with her hand while he did the same as the two embraced.

"Me too," he said. The two hugged for a few more seconds before breaking off their hug.

"So Lily tells me you got plans here in the city?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uh yeah; I'm in the early stages of putting together my next movie," he explained. He had only made two previous films, one dive bombing while the other was a hit.

"That's great, Dawson! Congratulations!" Joey said, hugging him once more. Dawson's senses were assaulted with Joey's scent as she hugged him for the second time. He was so caught up in memories of the one night the two of them had together that he almost didn't notice Lily returning to the room.

"So, your all settled in?" he asked.

"Yup," she said happily.

"Dawson, I promise you, your sister is in good hands," she swore, putting her right hand up.

Dawson chuckled. "Alright, I guess I can trust you just… no guys," he warned.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to have them all out by at least midnight," Joey teased. Dawson tried to give her a stern look, but it failed since he couldn't contain a smile.

"Haha," he said dryly. He looked over at Lily. "Be good," he told her, ruffling her hair; knowing she would, but had to say it anyway.

"I will," she promised.

"Now get out of here before we tie you up and make you our slave," Joey threatened, motioning him to the door.

Dawson grinned. "Tied up, huh? That could be interesting," he teased, standing half way out the door. He leaned in closer to her, whispering into her ear, "Tell me Jo, will there be Crisco?" teasing her about something she used to tease him about years ago. Joey felt the blood rush to her cheeks, hoping his sister hadn't hear that. She turned around to make sure his sister hadn't; the look on her face assured Joey she knew what Dawson was talking about, just not what he had said.

"I'll see you two later," he said, grinning before leaving. Joey just stood there for a second, unable to believe Dawson had said that. And in front of his sister! _Well it's not like she's a baby, _Joey said to herself, _she's sixteen. _She leaned against the door for support, images of Dawson and being tied up ran through her head despite trying to shake them.

"So.." Joey said, finally finding her voice, and finally able to move away from the door. She looked over at Lily who stood a foot or two away from her, grinning. "How about a board game?" she suggested weakly.

"So what's up with you and Dawson anyway?" Lily asked a few hours later, as the two girls sat on Joey's couch, painting each other's nails. She and Joey were like sisters, so talking about one another's love lives was nothing new.

"Me and Dawson?" Joey repeated, putting the cap back on the polish bottle, having had finished Lily's nails. "Your brother and I are good friends, you know that Lily," she said.

"Right, but didn't the two of you used to date?" she asked.

"Yeah, a loong time ago," she said.

"But why aren't the two of you together now? I mean, it's so obvious the two of you still like each other," Lily pointed out.

Joey wasn't sure if she should laugh or hide. She had asked herself the same question a million times before. After she and Pacey mutually decided to call it quits, she had wondered if she and Dawson would now be able to give it a shot once more. But she didn't want to keep jumping back and fourth between them, so she decided to try being alone for a while. After a while she began dating again, but none of them were serious. Then one day a few months ago, while talking to Dawson on the phone, she had found out he had a girlfriend. So she had continued to date. She looked over at Dawson's sister who was patiently sitting there, waiting for Joey to say something.

"What about you? Any great loves in the life of Lily Leery?" Joey asked, deciding to change the subject.

Lily grinned. "Someone's trying to change the subject awfully fast," she noted. "C'mon," she said.

"Alright fine!" Joey said, smiling. "I may still have feelings for Dawson," Joey admitted. "But their feelings I'll always have," she said.

Lily sat there for a second. "Nope, not buying that. Not the way the two of your flirt and carry on the way you do when you see each other. And let's not even get started on the sexual tension between the two of you," she added.

Joey's eyes almost bugged out of her sockets. "Lily Ann!"

Lily smiled. "And see, the way you freak out whenever I mention anything relating to sex while referring to you and my brother." She paused. "Why did you and Dawson have sex or something?" she asked.

Joey wanted to die right there. She was glad Dawson wasn't there or he'd make some comment or some expression in her direction. "Okay, I think that's about wraps up our 'girly bonding' for one night," Joey said as she stood up from the couch.

"Joey, it's barely past eight. You honestly don't expect me to go to bed _now_, do you?" Lily asked in disbelief. Joey looked at the clock hanging up in her living room and realized she was right.

"Okay, how about we order a pizza?" she suggested, hoping it'd distract Lily.

"Nice way to try and get me off track of out conversation," Lily said. "And it worked, I love pizza," she said, following Joey into the kitchen as they ordered a pizza for dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

As soon as the two girls hopped into Joey's car the next day after a few hours spent at the mall, Lily began to paw through the bag of stuff she had just bought. She had brought money with her, knowing she and Joey would be going out into the city, probably shopping.

"Well now that we've gotten shopping out of our systems, what do you say we grab a bite to eat before we head back home?" Joey suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Lily said as she reached over and put her seatbelt on. Just as Joey was pulling out of the parking lot, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered, as she continued to try and exit the store's parking lot.

"Hey gorgeous," Dawson said, smiling on the other end.

"Hey you," she said, trying to keep the redness down. She didn't know why his voice or even the thought of him affected her that way. "How's your day been?" she asked.

Lily watched from the passengers side, noticing the grin on Joey's face and the way she became more alive. She rolled her eyes. "That must be my brother," she said. Joey looked over and smiled at her.

"Yes that was your sister," she told Dawson.

"You guys just hanging out at home or?" he asked

"Actually we just got back from shopping," she explained. "Were on our way to get something for lunch." She paused. "Would you like to join us?"

"I would be honored," he said.

Joey smiled. "Good." She looked over at Lily. "I mean, were not even sure where were going to go. I was thinking of a little place about a block from my place," she said.

"That's fine," he assured her. "I'm not that far from there."

"You know where I'm talking about?" she asked.

"Yup."

"Okay, well, why don't we meet you there?" she suggested, looking over at Lily for approval.

"Okay, see you soon," he said before hanging up. Joey sighed, putting her phone back. She looked over at Lily as they headed to where they were going to meet Dawson for lunch.

"What?" Joey asked as Lily looked at her.

"You so like him," she said, causing Joey to blush.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Joey said, brushing off the comment as she pulled her sunglasses over her eyes. If Lily could read Joey's eyes like Dawson could, she was in trouble.

Joey and Lily arrived at the Café before Dawson. Joey decided to pick a table and wait for him to arrive, talking to Lily as they waited. Five minutes or so later, Joey looked up at the door just as Dawson walked in. She smiled as he looked around and spotted the two girls, Dawson and Joey's eyes locking as he walked over to them. Joey couldn't help but notice how amazing Dawson looked in only a pair of faded jeans and a dark gray t-shirt.

"Ladies," Dawson said as he reached the two. Lily was sitting on one side while Joey sat on the other.

"Hey Dawson," Lily said. "Sit over there, next to Joey," she suggested, as if he needed a little push.

"Do you mind?" Dawson asked.

"No, not at all," Joey said as she scooted over. Dawson grinned as he scooted in next to her. The seat was built for two, but it was still small. Joey could feel Dawson's right up against hers; a feeling that sent chills down her spine. Lily just sat on the other side, grinning behind her menu.

"So have you guys, uh, been waiting here long?" he asked, feeling the heat between he and Joey just as much as she could. The feel of her long leg beside his made his mind wander to places it shouldn't. Joey had picked Pacey a long time ago, and even if they were no longer together, she made it clear that he wasn't her choice.

"Actually, we just got here," she assured him, smiling.

"Okay, good. I didn't want to keep either of you waiting," he said. Joey and Dawson smiled, looking at one another with their menu's in their hands. Lily just shook her head, sitting on the other side.

"Can I take your orders?" the waitress asked, approaching the table, pulling Joey and Dawson out of their own little world. It took all the power Lily had from laughing out loud. Dawson and Joey looked at each other for a second.

"I think they need a second," she said finally, speaking up for them. The waitress nodded before walking off.

Dawson cleared his throat and thanked his sister quickly before attempting to busy himself with looking at the menu, Joey doing the same.

A little over an hour later, the three had finished their lunches, and sat there, talking in the café; catching up and joking around. Lily sat back and watched them through some of it; the way Dawson would put his hand on Joey's or the way she'd look at him and tuck her hair behind her ear. She sat there and wondered what had gone so horribly wrong all those years ago to prevent two people who obviously still loved each other, to be unable to get back together. As she sat there and watched them converse, she made a vow to change that. She could tell a difference in her brother whenever he was around Joey; a good difference. The same went for Joey.

Finally Dawson looked down at his watch and realized it was going on after two in the afternoon. "Yikes, I should probably get back," he said, pulling out his wallet.

"No, Dawson really, I can pay," Joey insisted.

"I got it Jo," he assured her, pulling money out from his wallet and placing it on the table.

Joey smiled. "Let me at least walk you out to your car." He grinned as he stood up, Lily and Joey doing the same.

"Sure."

"Well, I guess…I'll see you later," Joey said, jingling her keys with her left hand. Lily had already gotten into Joey's car, giving Joey and Dawson some 'alone' time.

"Yeah," he said, looking over at Lily, who was looking through her bag of stuff. "Count on it," he added with a grin on his face. Joey smiled and the two said goodbye; leaving separately from the café.


	4. Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

The week flew by fast, and before she knew it, Lily would be going home in another three days. She and Joey had spent the week hanging out at home as well as going out and catching a movie or two, or shopping, or whatever else popped into their minds. But the one thing that frustrated her was that she had been trying for an entire week to get Joey and her brother back together, and it seemed as if she was making little progress at best.

"What does it take to get two people together who obviously still like each other!" she muttered to herself, frustrated at herself, her brother, and Joey. Her subtle little attempts were getting her no where. She had to think of something else to do to get the two to admit their feelings to one another. As if on cue, she heard the front door close. Joey had had to run to her office to pick something up at five, but promised it wouldn't take very long.

"Hey kiddo," Joey said, walking into the living room.

"Hey, how goes the office?" she asked.

Joey sighed, plopping down on the couch beside Lily, putting her feet up on the coffee table in front of it. "I'm just glad I'm not there," she said.

"Hectic?"

"In a word; yes." The two laughed.

"So I was thinking, maybe a movie tonight?" Joey suggested a few minutes later, looking over at Lily.

"Out to the movies or movies here?" Lily asked.

"Either or." Lily thought about it for a second and shrugged.

"Actually, and I hope you don't mind," she began, turning towards Joey.

"What?"

"I was kinda hoping you'd be cool with letting me stay the night at a friends house; a friend who lives here." Joey thought about it for a second. She hadn't been aware Lily had friends in the city. Also she had spend the entire week with her and she was leaving in a few days, so she probably did want to hang out with girls her age.

"I suppose," Joey said, a smile on her face. Lily grinned and leaned over to hug her.

"But!" Joey said, causing Lily to pull away.

"You want info first," she guessed. Joey nodded. "Alright, my friends name is Allison and she doesn't live far from here actually," she said. "You can talk to her mother if you want," she said, motioning to the phone.

"No it's fine. I trust you," Joey said. "But if I find you and this friend are really out cruising the streets…"

"I'm dead. I know. Besides…" Lily said. "Why would I risk it when not only I'd have you to deal with but Dawson as well."

Joey grinned. "Exactly." The two sat there for a few seconds, resting on the couch, which was quite comfortable. Joey would fall asleep on it sometimes.

"Wow, I get the place to myself tonight," Joey said. "Maybe I'll go to bed early, catch up on some sleep."

"You know, you could always call up Dawson and do something with him tonight," Lily suggested.

"Ohhhh no," Joey said, getting up from the couch and walking into the kitchen knowing that was coming. Lily smiled, following her into the kitchen.

"Why not?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"Because… because…" Joey felt as if she was at a loss of words. "He's probably busy with his movie," Joey said at last.

"Nope. I just talked to him about an hour ago; he said he doesn't have a single plan tonight. Says he'll probably just sit in his hotel room and watch a movie or something," she explained.

"Well see, there ya go. He's got plans," Joey said. Lily stood there and gave her a look.

"C'mon Joey, after I leave you probably wont see him for a while, and it's not like you don't want to see him,' she pointed out. "Seems to me it's quite the opposite."

Joey sighed. "Okay, okay, you win. I'll call him and see if he wants to do something tonight."

"Yay!" Lily said, glad she had talked Joey into it. Not that there was much convincing involved to get her to say yes. "Well, I gotta get a few things together.." she said before practically skipping off to the guest room.

"What have I done?" Joey asked herself as she leaned up against the kitchen counter. She knew what Lily was trying to do, bless her heart, but Joey knew there was never going to be anything between her and Dawson except the friendship that had now. She had messed up her chance of ever being with him choosing Pacey eight years ago. Now she'd have to deal with the consequences.

A few minutes later, Lily came out of the guest room with a small bag, presumably with stuff she'd need for her night away from the apartment. Joey was sitting at the small kitchen table with Lily came out.

"Hey do you need a ride over?" Joey asked as Lily walked into the kitchen, carrying the small bag.

She smiled shyly. "Yes."

Joey smiled. Lily was growing up so fast; she was turning seventeen in a few weeks which didn't seem possible. She looked at the young woman in front of her and was proud of her. She and Lily were always close, they acted almost like sisters.

"Let's get you to your friends house," Joey said, standing up. She grabbed her keys, which were hanging on the small hook by the door as they headed out.

Joey sighed, eyeing her cell phone as she drove home after dropping Lily off at her friends house. She was right, her friend didn't live far away from her own apartment. The only problem now was that she was having a hard time making herself pick up the phone and calling Dawson. She didn't wanna come out and be like, 'I'm free tonight, let's have fun.'-Even though she wouldn't be terribly disappointed if that happened…

"I gotta stop thinking like that," Joey said to herself as she continued to drive. "Just pick up the phone and call him. I'm sure he's found something to do by now," she told herself, reaching down for her cell phone, quickly dialing the number of the hotel and asking to patch her through to his room number. She listened as the phone rang once…twice… she was about to hang up, when he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey there," Joey said, after a few seconds of trying to find her voice. She silently scolded herself for acting like a teenager. Maybe Lily was starting to rub off on her, she thought to herself.

"Uh, I was just wondering, if you didn't have plans later, maybe we could do something," she asked. "Like dinner or something."

"Me, you and Lily?" he asked.

"No, actually Lily's staying the night at a friends house," she explained. "I already checked it out. Actually I'm just heading home from dropping her off at the girls house," she said quickly.

"So it'd just be me and you?" he asked, grinning on the other end.

"Yeah," Joey said. "I-I mean, if you have other plans-" she began.

"I'd love to go to dinner with you," he cut in, picking up on her nervousness. Joey smiled.

"Okay," she said.

"Tell you what, how about we meet at Atlas?" he suggested, having heard good things about that particular place. "That's on 40 Central Park, right?" Dawson asked, double checking.

"Uh… yeah," Joey said, remembering where it was. She had gone there only a few times since her eleven years living in New York.

"Okay, it's settled. What time you wanna meet there?" he asked. "I mean, I can always pick you up," he suggested.

"No, no, it's fine; I can drive there. Uh.. How about eight-thirty?" she suggested, looking at the digital clock in her car. It read 6:15, meaning she had a little over two hours to get ready.

"Perfect. I'll see you then," he said.

"Bye," Joey said softly, before clicking her phone off. Joey looked at the clock again, knowing it'd take her all time she had left to get ready.


	5. Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

Two hours later, Joey examined her appearance in the long mirror on the back of the bathroom door for the hundredth time that night, finally deciding on a black dress she had hanging on her closet. The dress reminded her of the dress she wore to their Junior prom. It was almost identical to the dress in fact, except that the back dipped down further, exposing more of her back then her prom dress did. She tried to decide whether or not to put her hair up or leave it down. Finally she decided to leave it down, not wanting to look overly dressed up. She never really bothered with make up, but slapped a little bit of lip gloss on before deciding she was finally ready.

She took a deep breath before heading out to the car, reminding herself over and over again in route that it wasn't a date, just two old friends getting dinner together. When Joey arrived, Dawson was already there, sitting at a table smiling. Her heart melted and she felt a familiar pain; the pain of knowing no matter how much she wanted and loved him that the two could not be together romantically like she wished. No, she had blown that picking Pacey for the second time, and crushing Dawson's heart…again. She thought it was ironic that after she had 'chosen' Pacey, the two soon realized that that chapter in their lives had been over, for a while now. They mutually agreed to end things, and Pacey went after his 'soul-mate,' none other than Andie McPhee. Joey was happy for them; they had just gotten married a year and a half ago, but she felt as if she should be with her soul mate now.

Realizing she was just standing there, Joey snapped out of her thoughts and walked over to the table where Dawson was sitting, a smile on her face.

"Hey," he said, warmly, standing up as she reached the table.

"Hey," she said back. He leaned over and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek before taking their seats.

"I-I forgot how beautiful this place is," she said, looking around.

"Yeah, it is," Dawson agreed. "Jo, I gotta tell you; you look amazing," he said, unable to keep his thoughts about her to himself. He fought the urge to climb over the table and kiss her.

Joey blushed at his compliment. "Thank you." She smiled at him. "You know, you don't look so bad yourself," she said.

Dawson grinned. "Thank you." The waitress came over a few minutes later, asking what they'd have for drinks. Wanting to take away her nervous feeling, Joey ordered red wine.

"I think I'll have that too," Dawson said, looking over at Joey and smiling. The waitress jotted down their order and disappeared, leaving the two to chat while they waited for their drinks.

An hour later, the two were finishing up their meals, laughing as they sipped their wine. Joey felt great; she wasn't drunk, but had drank enough to feel comfortable, and by the way Dawson acted, he was feeling the same way.

"So Mr. Hollywood, how's your career going?" Joey asked. Dawson laughed at her comment.

"It's going great," he told her, a huge smile on his face as he spoke about his work. "I mean, the first movie I made, as you know, did badly, but the second.." he trailed off.

"Was a complete success," Joey finished for him.

"Exactly." There was a pause as the two of them just sat there, starring at each other, smiling. "So what about you? Famous editor Joey Potter," he said.

"Well first of all, I'm no where near famous. I believe that's you," she said. "But it's going good. I'm lucky that I have a job that I love."

"I'm glad your happy," Dawson said. Joey forced a smile. _Tell him! Tell him your still in love with him and want him back! _The voice inside her yelled. _Tell him that you love him! _Joey shook the thoughts out of her head, taking another sip of her wine.

The two sat there, listening to the band in the background playing soft music as people ate. Suddenly Dawson was hit with an idea. He looked over at Joey before standing up. Joey looked up at him for a second, unsure of what he was doing.

"Joey Potter, will you dance with me?" he asked, extending his hand. Joey looked up at him, feeling hesitant about dancing with him. Their bodies so close as they swayed to the music. The thought alone sent shivers down her spine.

Dawson sensed her hesitance towards dancing with him. "C'mon, It'll be fun," he said. Finally Joey smiled, nodding her head.

"Okay," she said, taking his hand as she got up. Dawson lead her to the small dance floor and the two began to dance. After a few minutes, Joey rested her head on Dawson's shoulder, enjoying the feel of being so close to him. She could feel his hand on her bare back Her thoughts traveled to the one time they made love in college. His lips on her back, her neck… she shuddered at the thought.

"Are you cold?" he asked, rubbing her arm with his hand.

"A little," Joey lied. Dawson smiled down at her, rubbing one arm at a time as they continued dancing slowly to the music. Joey looked up at him and smiled weakly, his touch making her whole body feel limp…and alive at the same time.

He couldn't hold back any longer. Dawson lowered his head, capturing her soft lips with his own. He half expected her to pull away, but instead, moved her hand to the back of his head, deepening their kiss. His hand rubbed her naked back, needed to feel her skin.

The two finally broke apart, remembering they were in a public place. Joey looked up at Dawson, into his eyes, trying to read hat he was thinking; what he was feeling. His eyes were clouded with love, heat, desire… everything she had hoped he was feeling. Knowing what they both wanted, they quickly paid the bill and ran out to their cars, kissing and holding hands on the way. Soon Joey was backed up against her car as the two shared a very heated kiss.

"Your place or mine?" Dawson asked, his voice raspy and filed with desire as they broke off their kiss.

"Yours," Joey whispered back, kissing him.

"Do you know where it is?" he managed between kisses. Joey nodded, finally breaking off their kisses. No words were needed as they broke a part and scrambled into their cars and sped off.


	6. Chapter 6

****

Chapter 6

Dawson awoke the next morning feeling a warm body up against his. He smiled as the nights events came back to him. They were dancing close at the restaurant and before he knew it, they were racing to his hotel room where they made love a few times that night. He knew the reason for the two in bed together was not the result of them drinking since he wasn't drunk and neither was she. He lay there, his head propped up by his hand and watched her as she slept. A few minutes later, his stomach grumbled. He sat up and looked over at her before bending down to put his jeans and boxers back on, deciding he should order room service before she woke.

Twenty minutes later, their food arrived. Dawson was careful not to make too much noise, taking the cart from the woman and bringing it into the bedroom. With his stomach grumbling, demanding food, he began to check out what was on the cart. While he was checking out what was there, Joey began to stir and finally woke up; clutching the sheet as she sat up.

"Hey," Dawson said.

"Hey," she said softly.

"So uh, I figured if you were as hungry as I was, I should…get some food up here before you woke up," he explained. Joey smiled sweetly as he sat down beside her, dressed from only the waist down. Joey couldn't help but stare at his tanned skin along with his muscles; muscles that hadn't been that toned the last time she had seen them. She hadn't noticed at least -then again, she hadn't slept with him six months ago.

"I'm not sure what you wanted, so I told them to throw a bunch of different things on the cart," he explained, motioning to the cart beside the bed.

"Thanks Dawson, but you didn't have to do that," she said, trying to locate her clothes from the corner of her eye.

"It's fine, really. Besides, I was getting kinda hungry," he said before reaching over to the cart, grabbing a strawberry from the bowl.

"Here," he said, handing her the strawberry.

"Thanks," she said, taking the fruit. Instead of eating it right off, Joey stared down at it. "Um, what time is it?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"A little after eleven," he said. Joey groaned and began searching for her dress on the floor beside the bed. He watched as she retrieved her black dress, and quickly tugged it on over her head.

"Is there some place you need to be?" he asked curiously, noticing her sudden hurry.

"No it's just… your sister," she said.

"What about her? You said she was staying at a friends house."

"Yeah, but she's gotta come home sometime. If I'm not there when she gets home.." she trailed off.

"Jo, Lily is turning seventeen in a couple of weeks. I'm sure she can handle being alone in the apartment for a few hours," Dawson assured her.

"Yeah, but she knew I was going out with you last night. If I come home wearing the dress I wore last night, not to mention looking like I've been up all night.." she trailed off, looking at Dawson who grinned.

"Jo who cares," he said.

"I care. I don't want her knowing I was having sex with her brother last night," she said, getting out of bed, wearing her wrinkled dress.

"Okay, but I was kinda hoping we'd talk about this; about what happened last night," he said.

"What about it?" she asked, quickly slipping her panties back on.

"Oh I don't know, what it meant, what that makes us now; all that stuff people in our situation would be discussing after a night like last night." _Oh no! Was he seeing someone else and now feeling guilty? _He hadn't mentioned anything but that hadn't stopped anything before..

"Yeah, well, hopefully other people aren't stupid enough to make the same mistake twice," Joey said as she searched for her shoes.

"Wait a second, your saying last night was a mistake?" he asked.

Joey looked up at him, tugging one of her shoes back on. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Well that's obviously what you were thinking seeings how you said it," Dawson said.

"No I didn't mean that. Would you stop putting words in my mouth?" Joey said as she continued her search for her missing shoe.

"I'm sorry, but I'm starting to get a sense of déjà vu from your nineteenth birthday," he said, standing up. Joey just stood there for a second, silence engulfing the room.

"Look, Dawson, I made my bed and now I just gotta lye in it," she said, referring to the choice she had made years ago over the two men.

"Joey what are you talking about?" he asked, having no idea what she was talking about.

"I'm sorry, I gotta go," she said, reaching for the door.

"Joey, please, don't leave," he pleaded. The look on his face along with the pleading in his voice almost made her stay. Then she thought back to years ago and all the hurt she had caused him choosing Pacey not once, but twice. She couldn't bare to do that to him again, despite what happened between them the night before. He was probably going to tell her that it was a mistake and wanted to be sure they could still be friends. The thought alone made her chest hurt.

"I-I can't. I'm sorry," she said quickly before disappearing out the door, leaving Dawson standing there feeling as if all the wind had been knocked out of him.

Joey brushed the tears from her face, and tried to straighten herself out as she stood outside her apartment door. She didn't want to let on that she had cried the ride home; in case Lily had beaten her home. She inhaled a deep breath before opening the door, realizing she had forgotten to lock it the night before; being so excited about seeing Dawson.

"Lily?" Joey called out, setting her keys down on the counter as she walked further into her apartment. After calling her name once more and getting no response, Joey realized she wasn't home from her friends house yet. She looked down at her outfit, realizing she was still in the dress she had worn the night before. She groaned, making her way into the bedroom. Joey was so caught up in thought that she didn't realize the red light on her answering machine, beside her bed, blinking until she was dressed into her pajamas. Slowly walking over to the left side of the bed, she pushed the play button and listened.

"Hey, it's me. Your probably half way back to your apartment; I gotta tell you, I was tempted to run after you after you left my room." A pause. Joey slowly sat down on the edge of the bed as she continued listening. "Jo, I don't know what happened this morning, but I'm hoping we can get past this and maybe..." Another painful pause.

"Maybe what?" Joey asked the machine as she sat there, tears in her eyes.

He sighed. "Maybe we can talk about this." She heard him chuckle lightly on the other end. "I hate talking to these things, and I guess I don't know what else to say. Please call me back." With that, the other line was disconnected and the answering machine beeped, indicating the message was finished playing. Suddenly without being able to control herself, Joey burst into tears, crawling into her bed wanting to disappear. She couldn't believe she had been stupid enough to have sex with him, knowing there is no future between the two; all thanks to her. But she had been caught up in the moment; tempted to escape the world in the safety and comfort of his arms. She now saw the error in her judgment, knowing she was going to be suffering a lot of heartache now.

"Joey?" A voice said twenty minutes later or so, causing Joey to jump in surprise. She had been so busy crying that she hadn't even heard Lily enter the house, let alone walk into her room.

"Ohmigosh; Joey what's wrong?" Lily asked as she walked over to the bed, sitting down beside Joey.

"Nothing, I'm-I'm fine," she said, obviously lying as she quickly wipe away tears. By the looks of her puffy eyes, Lily knew she had been crying for a while now and hard.

Lily began to rub Joey's back. "I know your not alright because you've been crying," she said, her voice low and calm.

"I…messed…up," she choked between sobs. "Dawson and I…" she trailed off, burying her face in her hands.

"Shhh, it's okay," Lily said as she hugged Joey, silently cursing her brother for whatever had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

****

Chapter 7

"So, did you have fun?" Joey asked a few hours later. She had finally been able to calm down enough to take a shower before presenting herself once more. Afterwards, she had given Lily the cliff notes version of what had happened, since she had already blurted it out before, while sipping some hot coffee.

"Yeah, we had the whole night to catch up. She's going to come stay with me in Capeside soon," she said.

Joey nodded, forcing a smile. "Good." She looked back down at her cup of coffee, playing over and over Dawson's message in her head. Lily sat there, studying Joey.

"You know he still loves you," she said finally, causing Joey to look up. Again she forced a smile.

"How do you know that?" she asked, her voice small and frail.

"Well," Lily began, shifting on the couch so she was facing Joey. "One day, a few months back I had walked into Dawson's room. And I had caught him looking through a photo album of his filled with pictures of you two; you know, growing up, pictures from the prom.." she trailed off. "And his expression… I've never seen it on his face before. He was smiling, and just the whole vibe around him; it's hard to explain but I know he loves you Joey," she assured her.

"And I know you love him because if you didn't, we wouldn't be talking about it now and what happened between the two of you wouldn't have happened last night."

"I do. I love him so much sometimes it hurts because I know him and I can't be together," Joey said.

Lily frowned. "Why can't you two be together. Are you married or something?"

Joey laughed. "No, I'm not married. I'm not even seeing anyone."

"Then I'm not following."

"Remember when Jen died?" she asked. "You probably don't because you were only eight.."

"No I remember; a little.."

"Well, back then, I hadn't seen Dawson for a year or so. Actually I hadn't seen anyone. My boyfriend back then was going to propose to me, so needless to say I hightailed it out of there before then." She sighed. "He and I broke up and I was left with Dawson and Pacey. The two men I've always loved in one way or another. Before she died, she made it her dying wish for me to finally choose; Dawson or Pacey."

"Yeah I remember hearing about you and Pacey being together. So what happened?" Lily asked, having had only heard bits and pieces from 'involuntarily eavesdropping' over the years.

"Well…feeling sad about one of my dearest friends dying and her dying wish being for me to choose…" she paused. "I ended up choosing Pacey; feeling as though my relationship with Dawson was solid. Also I guess I was kinda worried about giving it another shot…and not having it work."

"Joey, it's been...eight years. Why haven't the two of you discussed any of this within those years?" she asked.

"Because all the pain I've caused him by making that decision; regardless Pacey and I didn't last… I couldn't possibly ask him for another chance," she explained. "Besides, last time I checked, Dawson was dating some actress."

"I really didn't like her," Lily admitted. "And he's not dating her anymore -thank god."

Joey laughed. The two sat there for a little while in silence.

"Well honey, thanks for listening to me go on and on; I'm sure it was boring."

"Actually it was interesting," she admitted. "Gosh there was so much drama between the three of you! I'm glad my life isn't filled with that much drama!" Lily said, causing Joey to laugh once more.

"Hey I think I'm going to go lye down for a while. Do you mind?" Joey asked, feeling tired considering it was only two o'clock on the afternoon. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, plus crying had really drained her. 

"It's fine; I don't mind," Lily said, understanding.

"You sure? I mean, your leaving tomorrow afternoon," she pointed out.

"Really, I don't mind. I'm sure I can find something to amuse me for a few hours," she said, smiling.

Joey smiled. "Alright. See you in a little while." With that, she stood up and headed towards her bedroom.

Joey awoke the next day to the lingering smell of breakfast cooking, feeling more refreshed then the day before. She felt at peace until she opened her eyes and the memories of the past forty eight hours came crashing back to her. She sat up, realizing she had slept the entire night when she had only meant to take a nap. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stretched before stumbling to the bathroom to comb her hair and look at least half way presentable before making her way out into the living room.

"Lily?" she called out.

"Well, well, well, look who's decided to finally wake up," she teased, filling her plate before sitting down at the table.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect to sleep that-" she began, feeling bad.

"Joey, I was just teasing," Lily assured her. "Have something to eat," she said, motioning to the stove where a pan of scrambled eggs sat; bacon on a paper plate on the counter. Joey looked over at the food, debating whether or not to grab a bite to eat. But her stomach grumbled and she decided to fix a small plate.

"So, you got everything packed?" Joey asked, making conversation as she stabbed her breakfast with the fork.

"Yupper. Dawson said he was coming to pick me up before one," she explained. Joey nearly chocked on her eggs hearing his name. She looked up at the clock in the kitchen realizing it was almost noon.

"Dawson?" she croaked.

Lily looked up from her plate. "Mom and John are busy, so Dawson said he'd bring me home," she explained. "I knew you probably didn't want to see him, so I was just going to wait downstairs so you wouldn't have to see him."

"Lily, don't be crazy," Joey said, touched by what she had planned in order to save Joey from more heartache. "It's okay, really. I don't mind seeing him," she assured her.

"Are you sure?" Lily asked.

"Yes," she assured her once more, smiling. The two then continued eating their breakfasts, making small talk between bites. Joey was putting her plate in the sink when there was a knock on her door. Her heart leaped into her throat, knowing who would be standing on the other side once she opened it. Lily looked over at Joey.

"I'll get it," she assured her, smoothing her hair out as she walked over to the door. She kept telling herself she would be prepared to see him after what had happened between the two, but that was all blown out of the water as soon as she opened the door. She dared to look up at him; instantly noticing he hadn't shaved in a day or two, making him look more irresistible than usual.

"Hey," she said softly, motioning him inside.

"Hey." Joey closed the door behind him, taking a steadying breath while her back was turned to him.

"I'll go get my stuff," Lily said, sneaking out of the living room, giving Joey and Dawson a few minutes alone. Joey stood there in front of Dawson, unsure of what to say to him. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. So many things..

"So.." he said finally, breaking the silence, but not the tension.

"So," Joey repeated.

"Joey, why didn't you call me back?" Dawson asked finally. Joey stood there for a second, unsure of how to answer.

"Would it have mattered if I did?" she asked.

"It would have mattered to me," he said. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Doing what?" she asked.

"This. Pushing me away again." Joey paused, her gaze dropping to the floor, unable to look at him; afraid he'd be able to look deep inside her soul. Before she could answer, Lily entered the room with her bag, unaware that Joey and Dawson were talking.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought-" she began.

"No Lily, it's okay," Joey assured her. Dawson looked over at Joey, sadness and frustration visible in his eyes.

"You about ready?" he asked his sister.

"Yeah, everything's packed," she assured him.

"Well thanks for staying with me for the entire week and a half; keeping me company," Joey said, hugging her. "We'll have to do it again sometime."

"I'd like that," Lily said, hugging her back.

"Be good," Joey said.

Lily grinned. "I will." The two said their goodbyes and Lily then disappeared out the door, leaving Joey and Dawson alone once more.

"I guess this is goodbye," Joey said, barely able to hold back the tears threatening to let loose.

Dawson paused and Joey could tell he was about to say something. She wouldn't ever find out because he clenched his jaw and muttered, "Bye Joey," before disappearing out the door as well. Joey stood there for a few minutes before closing her eyes, trying to regain her composure.

Here goes," Joey said to herself. "The heartache begins…"


	8. Chapter 8

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Chapter 8

There was an uncomfortable silence in the car as Dawson headed back towards Capeside; his mind busy as ever with thoughts of Joey. Obviously he was right about Joey not wanting him. She made that clear when she ran from him for the second time after spending an incredible night together. His heart ached, thinking back to the day he had found out she had chosen Pacey again. He knew then that all hopes for the two getting back together were over. He had just been stupid enough to let his love for her take over the night before.

"She loves you, you know," Lily said, knowing he was thinking about Joey. Dawson looked over at Joey.

"And what makes you think that?" Dawson asked curiously.

"Dawson, not only is she like my best friend, but I just spent an entire week and a half with her; I think it's fair to say I know what I'm talking about," Lily said.

"And I've known her a lot longer than you've been alive," he reminded her. Lily paused.

"Okay, true; but have you ever spent longer than forty-eight hours with her?" she asked. "And I'm not talking about these one-nighters the two of you keep falling into." Dawson looked over at his sister, unsure if he wanted to laugh or hide.

"I'm suddenly feeling uncomfortable talking about this with my seventeen year old sister," Dawson said.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Regardless; I know what I'm talking about."

"She made it very clear to me that I wasn't the one for her, not only when she picked Pacey…again, but not more than forty-eight hours ago when she freaked out and left; refusing to return my calls," Dawson explained.

"Good god, if the two of you were more alike, I'd go nuts!" Lily exclaimed.

"Does an explanation follow that statement?" Dawson asked curiously. Lily sighed, unable to believe her brother was so oblivious.

"Trust me, Dawson; Joey loves you," she assured him. "She told me yesterday after I found her in her bedroom in tears over you and whatever went wrong between the two of you." Dawson paused for a second.

"Look, I appreciate your help, but I know what I'm talking about," Dawson said, wanting to drop the subject.

"But-" she began.

"Lily," he warned. Lily sighed in frustration, busying herself with looking out the window as they drove in silence.

A half an hour later, the car was still filled with silence. Lily was still looking out the passenger side window while Dawson continued to think about Joey; wondering if perhaps his sister was right. Did Joey really love him? Lily wouldn't lie about something like that. He looked over at his sister, who had remained quiet the whole half hour they had been on the road. Thinking back to all the years he had known her, he knew that he had always loved her; even when she was with Pacey and he was with Gretchen he knew that he'd always love her. _Even if she doesn't love me, I have to go back and tell her how I feel,_ Dawson realized. He knew he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't. He looked quickly in the rear-view mirror, before hopping back on the freeway that brought him back to N.Y.

Lily looked over at Dawson like he had gone mad. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Going back to New York," he said simply. It took a second for Lily to realize what he had meant by that. A grin slowly spread across her face.

"Are we really?" she asked excitedly.

Dawson nodded. "Yeah."

Joey walked down the small hallway and stood in the middle of her living room; realizing how quiet it was now that Lily had left. Over the past week and a half, Joey had grown used to having someone else in the apartment. She had spent years living on her own, never having a problem with it before; until now. She hugged herself, thinking of Dawson and how much she'd miss him. She was sure she had totally ruined their friendship by sleeping with him again, knowing he didn't want to be with her ever again. She knew that the only reason why they ended up in bed together was because they both felt that physical attraction for one another, and because of feelings they had for each other in the past; but that was it. She was headed towards her bedroom when there was an impatient knock -or bang- at her door. She frowned, wondering who it could be as she walked over and opened it.

She thought she was imagining things when she opened the door and saw who was on the other side. "Dawson, what-" Before she could finish, his lips were on hers, kissing her with so much passion and love that it made her knees weak. Finally, after a few minutes, Dawson slowly pulled away, his hands on her hips to steady her.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't leave here without telling you how I feel about you, about us.." he trailed off.

"Dawson-" Joey began, still feeling dazed by their kiss.

"No, Joey I have to do this," he said, quickly. "I know that you don't love me like that anymore; I mean, you picked Pacey after Jen died. I know I'm not the one for you, but I had to tell you anyways that I love you," he began. "Joey, my love for you is so strong that it hurts. And I've felt this way about you for as long as I can remember, and I doubt they'll ever go away. I mean, they haven't yet." he paused. "I don't know how you feel but the other night together, I felt something; a sense of completion. And… and I guess I had to tell you that." Dawson stood there for a second, waiting for Joey to say something.

"So I guess that was it," he said, taking his hands off of her hips after a few minutes. "I'll just be on my way. See ya Joey," Dawson said, turning around and heading out the door. Joey stood there for a few minutes, letting it all sink in what he had just said. A wide grin spread across her face before she ran after him.

"Dawson! Dawson!" she yelled, catching him as he was about to open his car door and hop inside. He stopped and turned towards her.

"Dawson, I don't regret it either," she began. "I chose Pacey because he was my safe net; I knew with him I'd be in a relationship that wasn't so complicated, and, and.." she paused. "All these years I thought you'd never forgive me for choosing him over you; but mostly…I thought I didn't deserve it. Because all I seem to do is bring you pain and heartache. I know what you meant when you said you felt a sense of completion because I felt it too. Dawson, whenever I'm around you I feel a sense of completion; you're my soul-mate and I will always love you."

After hearing those words, Dawson was no longer in charge of his body. He ran over to her and scooped her into his arms, kissing her as he had before. He had waited eight years to hear her say that. Lily just grinned from inside of the car as she watched her brother and Joey kiss, forgetting where they were.


	9. Epilogue

****

Epilogue

__

1 Year Later…

Dawson and Joey sat, snuggled on the large couch with a large bowl of popcorn between the two as they watched the end of a movie they had picked up. Dawson played with Joey's hand all throughout the movie while Joey rested her head on Dawson's chest, her eyes getting heavier and heavier. Now in her fifth month of pregnancy, Joey had begun to show; Dawson was unable to get enough of looking at her bare stomach with the bump indicating their growing child inside. The news of the pregnancy had both surprised and warmed them. Their families were excited as well; Lily the most. She couldn't wait until the baby was born, which the doctors had told them was sometime in February.

Suddenly the phone beside them rang to life. Dawson groaned before reaching over and answering it.

"Hello?" Dawson looked over at Joey after a few seconds. "Yeah, we're doing great. How's school? He asked. There was a pause. He laughed. "That's good. No, she's right here beside me. Wanna talk to her?" he asked. He laughed once more. "Alright, here she is." he handed Joey the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Joey!" Lily said on the other end. Joey grinned.

"Hey kiddo. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good," she assured her.

"That's good. How are you and things with you and the new boyfriend?" she asked, remembering Lily had mentioned something about it not too long ago. At the mention of a new boyfriend, Dawson's gaze quickly snapped back to Joey.

"Boyfriend? What new boyfriend?" he asked. Joey waved her arm at him as Lily told Joey all about him.

"Oh he sounds like a keeper," she said.

"Wait a sec, I haven't even met this guy!" Dawson said, unable to stay quiet. Lily laughs on the other end, hearing what Dawson had said. Joey couldn't help but laugh at him as well, finding it both cute and hilarious.

Five minutes later, Lily told them she had to go study for an exam. The two of them say their goodbyes to her before hanging up. Finally after a few minutes, Joey reached up and kissed Dawson.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Because I love you,' she said simply. Dawson grinned before leaning down and kissing her once more. Joey groaned in delight, raking her hands through his blond hair.

"Don't start something you can't finish," Joey warned, breaking off their very heated kiss after a few minutes.

"Don't worry; I won't," Dawson assured her, standing up and carrying her to the bedroom.


End file.
